Volunteer Spotlight: Katherine Havens
The thousands of ATPE volunteers across Texas are the backbone of this association. Their hard work and dedication allow ATPE to serve the state’s largest community of educators. In this ongoing ATPE News series, we spotlight volunteers who set a great example of service for their fellow educators.
Katherine Havens | Wortham ATPE
Katherine Havens works as a math teacher at Wortham High School in Wortham ISD. She was named the 2025 Doug Rogers Campus Representative of the Year in the category for local units/ISDs with 1–200 members.
The Sum of Her Experience
Havens teaches upper-level math at Wortham High School, where she has worked for nearly a decade. She began her teaching career in 1987, took time off to raise her children while tutoring students from home, and later returned to the classroom. Her passion for mathematics runs deep, with a family background full of engineers.
“I’ve always loved the clarity of math,” Havens says. “It’s right or wrong, not subjective. What really keeps me going are those light bulb moments when students finally see the patterns and subtleties and realize they can do it.”
Mentorship: A Common Denominator
Havens credits her mentor during her first year of teaching with introducing her to ATPE. That early guidance made a lasting impression.
“My mentor told me right away, ‘You need to join ATPE,’” Havens recalls. “I still remember opening my teacher box and finding little mints or notes of encouragement. Those small gestures made me feel valued, and that’s something I try to carry on today—making teachers feel seen and appreciated.”
Solving for Leadership
When leadership turnover threatened to dissolve Wortham ATPE, Havens stepped up.
“I couldn’t let it die,” she explains. “We need representation, and we need to be heard at the district and state levels. That’s when I said, ‘I’ll do it.’ So I became president and campus rep because this association matters.”
Havens has helped grow her local unit through creativity and enthusiasm, leading to a 40% membership increase last year. She credits the success to using member testimonials, offering small treats as incentives, and leaning on support from ATPE Membership Specialist Mary Jane Waits.
Strength in Numbers
For Havens, ATPE’s advocacy is a critical benefit she makes sure her colleagues understand.
“Even in a small district, you don’t want teachers to be ignored or overlooked,” she says. “It’s empowering to know that ATPE has your back. Sometimes just being able to say, ‘I talked to my ATPE lawyer’ makes all the difference.”
She also highlights the value of ATPE’s discount programs, especially when talking to new teachers.
Plotting the Next Chapter
Havens attended her first ATPE Summit in 2025, where she enjoyed networking and legislative updates. While travel costs can be a challenge for small local units, she hopes to make attending the ATPE Summit a priority in the future.
Outside of teaching, Havens recently began a “side hustle” as a travel agent, something she says combines her love of planning with her hopes for retirement.
“It may not make a lot of money, but it’s fun,” she says. “Right now, it’s just supporting my habit, but I can see it as my retirement gig down the road.”
Through decades of teaching and her leadership in Wortham ATPE, Havens continues to inspire colleagues by showing that even small actions, whether a word of encouragement, a simple treat, or a personal testimony, can create a lasting impact.
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